Third Attempt to Expand Scope of Practice to Include Drugs
Would Create Risks to Public Safety

Falls Church, Virginia, March 31, 2025: The International Chiropractors Association is reaching out to legislators in Montana again to request they reject legislation that moves the chiropractic scope of practice into the realm of medicine. Since its inception, the profession has been focused on the identification and elimination of vertebral subluxations and allowing the body’s own innate healing process to function optimally. All but a tiny fringe element of the profession desire to keep chiropractic a non-prescribing profession. Montana health professionals and their patients would be better served by expanding the opportunity of Telehealth and professional collaboration in real time between chiropractors and medical doctors rather than expanding the scope of chiropractic to include drug prescribing. The path Representative Oblander is now making with his controversial legislation in a third attempt to expand chiropractic into the medical profession would create an increased risk to public safety through inadequately trained individuals prescribing drugs.

The ICA is concerned that the very language of the bill, most specifically provision lines 18-19 of page one, “ WHEREAS, there is widespread support from many health care providers in Montana to allow for doctors of chiropractic to have prescriptive authority;” has misrepresented the facts. It is our understanding that there is significant opposition by both the medical and pharmacy associations in Montana to this bill. (See Attached Fact Sheet) Further, the American Medical Association has an ongoing ‘Scope Creep’ initiative raising concerns nationwide about attempts to broaden other health professionals into the medical doctor scope.

Drug prescribing is not a simple ‘add on’ technique training. Drug prescribing is a key component of medical education throughout all the years of education and residency. It is not something that can or should be taught as a series of weekend seminars.

ICA’s new CEO, Dr. Edwin Cordero stated, “Please oppose House Bill 929. Three college presidents have previously submitted letters explaining the scope expansion into prescribing should be opposed. I would concur. As a former chiropractic college president, chiropractors graduate with the knowledge and skills to evaluate and correct subluxations; to offer health promoting lifestyle advise. They do not graduate with the training to become drug prescribers. The proficiency exams do not include evaluation of knowledge and skills on drug prescribing.”

A century ago, the ICA was established (Originally named the Chiropractic Health Bureau) to work with the states to establish licensure so that our doctors would no longer be jailed for ‘practicing medicine without out license’. During this process chiropractic was established as a distinct and drug-free profession. Chiropractic is now and should remain a profession without drug prescribing in its scope of practice.

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Montana Medical Association Opposition to HB 929

For Immediate Release

Contact: Beth Clay
Email: bclay@chiropractic.org

Just Say No to HB 929!